Sank T Monius

Philippians 4:11-13 Q). What is the basis of Paul's contentment? A). Paul's contentment is based on the fact that Christ is sufficient to any circumstance in which he might find himself! # Q). Does this contentment undermine ambition? A). Paul's contentment did not undermine his ambition. Though Paul had his eyes set on an other-worldly goal, he very much lived in this world -- trusting Christ at each step of the journey, in each crisis and in each victory. # Q). What is necessary for us to achieve this kind of contentment? A). To achieve this kind of contentment we must believe that Christ is sufficient to any circumstance in which we might find ourselves.

Philippians 4:11-12 Q). How can a "prosperity doctrine" threaten Christian ministry? A). For Paul, the prosperity doctrine would have run counter to a Christian's need to be at Jesus' disposal, rather than seeking the luxuries of life. (See 2 Timothy 2:3 and 2 Corinthians 11:24-27). # Q). To what prime motivation in us does such a teaching often appeal? A). The "prosperity doctrine" appeals to our need for material security. # Q). In balance, what does the Bible teach about poverty and riches? A). In the Bible, Paul talks about need and plenty as exterior conditions, none of which affect his inner life. And Jesus said: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." -Matthew 6:33 ... (Paul talks about poverty and riches in Philippians 4:11-13): 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:8 Q). Why is mind control necessary for success? For mental and spiritual peace? A). The peace of God cannot enter a mind filled with anxious and fearful thoughts. # Q). What have you decided to focus on instead of your anxieties? A). I have decided to focus on things to be thankful about instead of my anxieties. I will begin by giving thanks for the obvious 'small' things like breathing, food, shelter, etc. I'll continue giving thanks until my gratitude exceeds my anxieties and fears. And when it gets to be too difficult for me to be thankful, I'll ask God to help me have a mind that's willing to be thankful. # Q). How is this working for you? A). It seems to be more effective with practice.

Philippians 4:7 Q). How does making our requests known to God help build a relationship and trust? A). Conversations cause relationships to deepen. # Q). What is God's part in the promise of peace? A). When you pray with thanksgiving, God's peace will guard your heart and mind.

Philippians 4:6 Q). How is a request in prayer altered by the presence of thanksgiving in the prayer? A). Thanksgiving is the language of faith. Our request in prayer is altered by an attitude of remembering God's faithfulness, love, and power in past situations, and thus an expectation of his answer in this situation. # Q). How does thanksgiving affect our faith as we pray? A). Thanksgiving is an expression of our faith and it affirms our faith.

Philippians 4:4-5 Q). Is rejoicing in the Lord a feeling or an action? A). Rejoicing is not merely a passive, spontaneous reaction; as a command it is to be a deliberate action. # Q). How should you seek to fulfill this command if you don't feel like it? A). The answer is found in asking the Lord himself to open your heart and life to joy. Ask Jesus to teach you to rejoice in him. Then follow the promptings he gives you. # Q). What is the effect of rejoicing? A). Rejoicing, along with prayer and thanksgiving will effectively bring us the peace of God (And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.) -Philippians 4:7.

Philippians 3:18-21 Q). Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? A). It is vital for our discipleship to recognize and affirm our heavenly citizenship and allegiance because an earthly mindset will result in destruction. Paul affirms elsewhere that an earthly mindset doesn't mean entering the Kingdom of God, but its opposite # Q). How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? A). Paul says these opponents "live as enemies of the cross of Christ." The cross of Christ is the way of suffering and self-denial, in sharp contrast with a self-indulgent lifestyle that glories in the activities of which one should instead be ashamed. It is an earthly mindset that will result in destruction. # Q). What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship? A). Temporal patriotism looks up to earthly leaders while heavenly patriotism acknowledges only Jesus as the true 'leader'. Jesus said it best in his sermon on the mount: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." -Matthew 6:24.

Philippians 3:17 Q). How can Paul be so bold as to ask others to imitate him? A). That is Jesus' own method of discipleship and that of the early apostles of the faith. # Q). Why are we so hesitant to do this? A). False humility stands in the way of our being a discipler of others. # Q). How does God use imitation in building disciples? A). God uses imitation in building disciples by giving real life examples. # Q). Who is likely to imitate you? A). I believe those who would imitate me will be and are chosen by the work of His spirit. It is therefore important for me to make myself always available to be used by God.

Philippians 3:14 Q). What is it like to be called upwards by God? A). It is like being honored with a very high privilege. # Q). Have you ever experienced this? A). Yes. When I realized He was speaking directly to me through His Word of salvation. The words "whosoever believeth..." included me and it became a personal calling. # Q). What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? A). Our self-centered thinking along with carnal desires and worldly distractions causes God's call to become dim in our hearing. # Q). How can we renew our hearing of his call? A). By remembering God's most precious gift of love during times of prayer and meditation. # A). What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call? The content or specifics of this message is written in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Philippians 3:13 Q). How can the past get in the way of our quest to know Christ? A). Focusing on the past prevents us from facing the present and moving forward toward the blessings Christ has for us. # Q). What do you need to "forget" so that you may focus on Christ today and tomorrow? A). I need to forget about the mistakes I have made, accept God's forgiveness and reaching forth unto those things which are before me, press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. # Q). Is there forgiving you need to do so you can grow in Christ? A). Yes. It's important that I let go of the baggage of the past so I can grow in the grace of Christ. I must be willing to forgive so that I can be set free to live in the present and move forward in my spiritual growth.

Philippians 3:8-10 Q). What does it mean to "know" Christ? Does this mean to have faith? Or to have a personal relationship? A). To "know" Christ is to have a growing personal relationship with Christ. The relationship begins when we first put our faith in Christ and grows over a lifetime. # Q). Is it possible to have a personal relationship with Christ without faith? A). It is not possible to have a personal relationship with Christ without faith. The relationship begins when we first put our faith in Christ. # Q). Is it possible to have faith without a personal relationship? A). The relationship begins when we first put our faith in Christ. # Q). Where are you on your quest to know Christ? A). I am still learning to trust and obey Him more often.

Philippians 3:8b-9a Q). How does righteousness obtained through faith differ from righteousness obtained through law observance? A). Righteousness under law considers a person righteous because of his or her own upright behavior. Righteousness by faith, considers a person righteous because God has declared it so and as judge considers a person so. # Q). How seriously does righteousness by law observance infect your congregation? Society's view of Christianity in general? A). Righteousness by law produces self-righteous and better-than-thou attitudes in the congregation. I believe that a self-righteous attitude may create adversity in society's view of Christianity in general. # Q). Why is this concept of justification or righteousness by faith so difficult to grasp? A). The concept of justification or righteousness by faith is difficult to grasp simply because it is hard to believe that it is true.

Philippians 3:2-6 Q). Why isn't Paul merely neutral about his religious pedigree? A). Paul isn't merely neutral towards his religious credentials because they are empty in themselves. They don't satisfy the heart. And the pride they represent stands in the way of grasping something much more valuable -- knowing Christ intimately. # Q). Why does he consider it loss, dung, an obstacle? A). When Paul weighs the value of knowing Christ vs. his religious credentials, his religious credentials tip the scale as "rubbish" (NIV, NRSV) or "dung" (KJV). The Greek noun skubalon means "dung, muck," both as excrement and food gone bad. To return to his former place is absolutely abhorrent to Paul. # Q). In what way could your religious background be an impediment to your faith? A). There is a certain arrogance in being affiliated with a certain denomination which can be an impediment to developing a genuine relationship with Jesus.

Philippians 3:2-6 Q). How does "confidence in the flesh" show up in your congregation? A). When members try to upstage each other by doing the most religious works # Q). Have you ever struggled with it? A). Yes I like to feel above average because I read the bible often. Bible reading makes me feel like God is more pleased with me than those who don't read the bible as much. Feeling superior because I read the bible a lot is an example of me having confidence in the flesh.

Philippians 2:19-30 Q). From what you've read in Philippians so far, what seems to be the Philippian church's chief problem? A). The Philippians chief problem seemed to be leaders with self-seeking motives # Q). How does Paul's description of Timothy's character speak to this problem? A). Paul describes Timothy as being focused on the mission and having a selfless concern for the church. # Q). How does Paul's call to honor men like Epaphroditus speak to this problem? A). Paul describes Epaphroditus as being focused on the mission

Philippians 2:22 Q). What is the significance of serving Jesus as a "slave" as opposed to serving him as a preference? A). The difference is in serving Him willingly rather than as an obligation # Q). What does it say about the quality of our service? Of our commitment? A). A lot has to do with the quality of our love for Jesus. It is a humble privilege, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ willingly is a high honor. # Q). What is wrong with leaders who serve out of preference? A). They serve out of self-seeking motives.

Philippians 2:22 Q). Who has come alongside you to teach you? A). various individuals have collectively helped to mold me. # Q). What potential leader in your church needs someone to come alongside them? A). I am a potential leader who needs to cooperate with others who would like to help me. # Q). Do you have a person or two that you are mentoring "as a son with a father" or "a daughter with a mother"? A). I don't have one or two people that I mentor. I only have friends that I share with.

Philippians 2:19-21 Q). Why was Timothy's selfless concern so rare among church leaders? A). Timothy takes a genuine interest in the church's welfare. He isn't self-absorbed. He doesn't have a hidden agenda. Others are trying to further their own interests. # Q). Rather than pointing the finger at others in your church, consider yourself. What things has Jesus had to deal with in your life that has helped you to become genuinely selfless and focused on the concerns of others? A). My self-centered attitude and behaviors have caused undesirable problems in my life. # Q). How has he refined you? (Of course, he is still at work in us!) A). He is refining me by allowing me to learn from experience how much I must rely on Him and His will above my personal desires

Philippians 2:14-15 Q) How does ceasing complaining and arguing enable a church to shine as stars in a dark sky? A) Complaining and arguing are signs of rebellion against God's will. God can do his best work in churches that trust Him and obey His will. When the church ceases to complain and argue God will be able to help the church to shine as a bright light in a very dark world. # Q) What does this shining as stars signify? A) Shining as stars signifies that the world can sense (see) the presence of Christ among the church members. # Q) Have complaining and arguing compromised your church's witness as a God-place? A) occasionally # Q) If so, what can you do to change this? A) Exhort the church to collectively practice gratitude, humility and love in words as well as in deeds.

Q) In this passage, what does it mean to "work out your own salvation"? A) Paul was talking about the whole church becoming more like Christ # Q) Is this referring to salvation from sin? A) No # Q) If not, what kind of salvation is it referring to? A) As individuals and a church, they are to work out the implications and lifestyle of salvation in their church community.

Philippians 2:9-11 Q) We know we're supposed to humble ourselves like Jesus did. But how can we know whether or not God will exalt us? A) We know that God will exalt us because His Word said He would do it: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6) # Q) Why do we get impatient with this? A) We get impatient with this because we insist on having our own way based on selfish ambition and vain glory. # Q) What does our impatience sometimes lead to? A) Our impatience sometimes leads us to sin.

Philippians 2:7-8 Was Jesus really a human being or only pretending to be one? Jesus was really a human. It is written in John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." # What do these verses teach? Philippians 2:7-8 teach us that Jesus (God) humbled himself and became as a man in order to free us from the penalty and power of sin. # What difference does it really make whether or not Jesus was human? He had to be human to fulfill the prophesies of His coming.

Philippians 2:6 In your own words, what does it mean that Christ didn't cling to his equality with God? Jesus was not trying to 'Be God'. He 'Is God' and humbled Himself in the likeness of man so that man could recieve salvation from sin and abide with Him in life everlasting. # How specifically does this passage teach that Jesus is divine? Philippians 2:6 teaches that Jesus is divine because Paul wrote "Who, being in very nature God..."(NIV). This proves that Jesus is divine.

Philippians 2:1-4 # To achieve unity in your congregation, why is humility necessary? Humility is necessary to achieve unity because it eliminates selfishness and vanity which can destroy unity. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 3:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Philippians 1:23 Q). What do Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 teach about the state of Christians immediately after death? A). Christians are in the immediate presence of the Lord after death. # Q). How does this comfort you? A). It comforts me to know that I will immediately be at home with the Lord when I die. # Q). How does this energize you? A). It energizes me by giving me a strong desire to live according to God's will knowing that I will be with Him immediately when I die.